The idea behind this game is so simple that it is
difficult to believe that no-one has ever thought of it before - basically that
students move around the board answering questions about English and the
occasional general knowledge question and get points (coloured counters) for
it. In fact, I've worked in two schools where teachers had tried to produce
such a game, but if you are going to convince your students that answering
grammar questions is a game then presentation is everything. "Word Up" wins on
presentation right from when you open the box, from the board which looks just
like a proper Monopoly board and the proper plastic counters, to little details
like the cards for students to put their question sheets on and the pretty
little paperclips for them to do it with.

As well as the things mentioned above, the game included two
dice, little plastic "men" to move around the board, 160 question sheets in 5
different levels with 7 questions from each category on each, and instruction
booklets with "Instructions for Teachers" and "Rules of Play".

The rules of the game are that students roll the dice and move
around the board. They must then answer a question from one of 4 categories
depending on the colour they landed on. The 4 categories are: Missing Word
(orange), Crossword Clues (green), Multiple Choice (blue) and Spelling
(yellow). If students get the question right they get a counter of that colour
and continue playing. If not, play passes to the next student. The first person
to get two counters of each colour wins. The main variation to this routine is
when students land on the "Word Up" square and take a "Word Up" card. Like
"Chance" cards in Monopoly, students can be lucky enough to gain two counters,
or at the other extreme unlucky enough to lose two. There are also squares on
the board with similar benefits and penalties.

The Missing Word category of questions is mainly a test of
collocation, such as fixed expressions and dependent prepositions, with some
grammar. The students are helped a little by being given the number of letters
of the missing word. The Crossword Clues are a test of vocabulary such as
opposites, with the first letter given. The Multiple Choice is a mixture of
general knowledge and vocabulary. The good thing about the Spelling Questions
is that the word being tested is given in context in a sentence. The 5 levels
are aimed at levels from Elementary to Advanced, but as they mainly test
vocabulary it can be a little difficult to judge which of the levels will suit
your class best before starting play. This can be quickly solved by swapping
cards for a higher level during play, often without the students even noticing
that they have changed level. Alternatively, this tactic can be used to stop a
runaway winner, or with mixed-ability classes.

I must say that before using the game I was a little dubious as
to whether I could convince my adult students that rolling dice could suddenly
make English fun. I was also a bit worried that my teenage class would react
negatively to being asked to play a game. In fact, I was worrying about
nothing. All the students in the school who tried it (and that has literally
been nearly all the students in the school when word got around) loved it. Some
even asked where they could buy it so they could play it at home. And some
teachers played it with one-to-one students, with the student asking the
teacher the Level 5 questions.

All in all, the biggest hit in our school this year. My only
little quibble would be that it takes a good 10 to 15 minutes to read through
and understand the complete rules and guidelines for teachers, and while they
certainly cover every possible eventuality there could perhaps have been a
"getting started quickly" guide, with teachers only referring to the full
version when student queries come up.